{4.5/5} “I have some simple rules when I’m getting ready for a big performance. First, no milk. Makes you too phlegmy. Second, no doorknobs. They spread infections. So do kisses. So what if I have some superstitions, too. I never step on cracks and sometimes I walk backwards. And everyone I see becomes a metaphor for the things that could stop me. I just give each one my gold star death stare. None of them stand a chance.”

Glee seasons 1 – 3, aired in 2009-12

Glee is about a high school glee club. And the show is a musical. But it’s very well done — the music is fantastic, it’s usually quite funny, and you’ll even care about the characters.

Will (Matthew Morrison) is the teacher who starts the glee club. Sue (Jane Lynch) is his nemesis, the coach of the cheerleading squad. Emma (Jayma Mays) is the guidance counselor who has OCD and who has a crush on Will. There are 11 kids who have been there since the beginning (some of whom just graduated) and others have come and gone. The glee club members include Rachel (Lea Michelle) who dreams of singing on Broadway, Finn (Cory Monteith) who’s the football quarterback, Quinn (Dianna Agron) who’s captain of the cheerleading team, and Kurt (Chris Colfer) who’s gay and just wants to be himself.

Each year the glee club participates in a competition with other glee clubs. The show also deals with important issues that teenagers face. Since some of the kids have graduated from high school, next season will be somewhat different.

I recognized Mays from Heroes but the other actors were new to me. Guest stars include Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Goldblum, Olivia Newton-John, John Stamos, and Whoopi Goldberg.

The series was created by Ian Brennan (also an actor, and the narrator on Glee), Ryan Murphy (creator of Nip/Tuck), and Brad Falchuk (creator of American Horror Story).

Last summer there was a reality show called The Glee Project — the winners of the show got to be on Glee this season. The Glee Project will be back for a second season this summer.